browne



H. M. BROWNE.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1921.

1,438,576. Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. M. BROWNE. I

SIGNAL.

Arrucmou FILED-MAY 14. 1921.

1,438,576. Patented Dec. 12,1922.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

entree-stares PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH M. BROWNE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF'COLUIVJZBI A.

SIGNAL.

" Application filed May 14, 1921.. Serial No. 469,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hoerrlt l. Bnown'n, a

citizen of the United States, residing at to automobile signals to be displayed at the rear end of said automobile or car at each stop, so that it may be readily seen and the attention of an operator approaching the same will be called thereto thereby reduc ing the number of rear end collisions.

The objects of the invention are: First, to provide a signal of the character above indicated which can be easily manufactured and readily applied to all automobiles in a minimum of time and cost, an without the use of skilled labor.

Second, to'provide a construction which is simple and consists of few parts which are positive in their operation, thus insuring the quick carrying out of the signals un der all conditions of Weather and traiiic.

Third, to provide a means for operating an electric horn or other audible signal, simultaneously with the setting of the stop signal, so that the attention of the operator or driver in the rear-will be called to the setting of the stop signal.

Fourth, to provide a signal of the character indicated which is at all times operated by compressed air and without the use of springs and all mechanism for actuating the same is sheltered from the weather.

Fifth, to provide a signal light which is capable of being used as a parking light when the car is not in motion and in a parking position;

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description of theconstruction, arrangement and operation of the parts to be presently disclosed. I j

The invention consists of structural characteristics and relative arrangements of parts to be presently described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts 1n the several figures,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobilehaving attached thereto'the improved combined signal and parking light;

Figure-2 is a cross-sectional View of the bellows for creating the compressed air;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line IVIV, of Figure5, showing the lamp;

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view taken on line VV of Figure 4;

Figure 61s a bottom plan view of the I lamp shown in Figure'5, and

Figure 7 1s a diagrammatic view showing the manner of wiring up the signal lamp with its switch, horn and battery.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, 10

1 represents the body of an automobile in wh1ch11is the front seat and 12 the left rear mud guard on which the improved combined rear parking and signal lamp 13 is attached in any suitable manner. Said lamp 13 (see Figs. 4, 5, and 6) consists of a outer circular edge by means of ball bearings 19 carried in a circular recess formed in a round flange 20 on base 14, as shown in Figure 5. Attached to said spider and rotating therewith are four upright rectangular frames 21, 21, carryingred glass lenses 22 and 23,and plain white lenses 24 and 24', arranged as shown in Figure 4, the lens 22 being provided with and showing a letter S at 22 f0r purposes to be presently described, and white lens 24 also having a letter S.

Also rigidly secured to said rotatable spider or plate 17 is a cylinder 25 of circular or arcuate shape, as shown having open ends 26 and 27 and a central Wall or partition 28, dividing said cylinder into two chambers.

29 and 30, and 31 and 32, are pins attached to or projecting respectively from the top and inner side of the rim of the spider or plate 17 as clearly shown in'Fig. 4 for purposes to be presently disclosed. 33 is a vertical pin or stop attached to the base 14 adjacent to the inner side of flange 20 adapted to be engaged by pins 31 and 32.

Pivotally attached or supported on the base 1 1 is a switch 33 adapted to connect the terminals 34 and 35, said switch having an arm 36 so constructed. and arranged as to engage the pins 29 and 30 during the rotation or oscillation of the plate 17.

Passing through the base 1 1 are two small pipes 37 and 33 having their ends 39 and 40 within the lamp 13 turned at right angles and oppositely disposed and bent in the are or" a circle or the same radius as that ofthe arcuate cylinder 25, so that w en said cylinder 25 is osci lated about the axis of the signal lamp 13, by the movement of plate or spider 17, the curved ends and {10 of the pipes 37 and 38 will readiiy pass respectively more or less into the opposite ends 26 and 2? of the cylinder 25, as will be readily understood by reference to Figure l.

To the end 39 of pipe 3? and end 26 of cylinder 25, and end 10 of pipe and end 21' of cylinder, are secured means of cord or wire, small sections oi flexible and airtight tubing {11 and 42, which close up the ends 26 and 21' or' the cylinder 25, and the only means for admitting air into the two chambers within the cylinder 25 is by means of the open ends 39 and i0 otthe pipes 37 and 38.

Secured to the base 1 1 is a axed housing 43 which covers the light 16, lenses, and the operating mechanisn heretofore described, for the purpose of protecting the same from injury and the weather, and sait housing 13 is provided with a sideogening 1 1 to permit the light 16 to illuminate the license tag, while rear opening 41-5 allows the stop signal S and red light to be displayed, and the front opening 16 enables the white light to be visible at all times during the night while the automobile is under way or parked.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is illustrated mechanism by which the air under pi sure is obtained, and consists of an upper plate 17 and a lower plate 18, held in a fixed relation and adapted to be moved to-. wards each other by means of guide bolts 19, 19, said bolts passing through the upper plate 17 with suflicient clearance as not to bind or frictionally engage said plate 17. Surrounding each of said bolts 49 an d interposed between the plates 43? and a8 is a coil spring 50, said springs normally tending to separate said plates l? and 43, as will be readily understood. Inserted between said plates 11? and 43 and bolts 19 is a cob lapsible and inflatable hollow bag 51 preferably made of rubber and having provided at its under section and communicating with its interior with check valve opening inwardly, and a check valve opening outwardly. as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. Said check valve 53 communicates with and is controlled by a four-way valve 54 in which branch 55 connects with check-valve 53, branch 56 with pipe 37 and its end 39, branch 57 with pipe 38 and its end d0, while the branch 58 leads to the atmosphere, said valve 5 1 being controlled from the drivers seat by means of a handle 59, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Said collapsible and inflatable bag 51 with its co-operating plates 17 and 18 are placed directly under the seat cushion of front seat 11 for the driver, shown for example in Fig. 1, so that the weight of the driver will tend to compress said bag 51 against the action of the coil springs 51. 60 is an electric switch on the front seat support within reach of the driver for the purpose oi? throwing in the electric current so that it will pass through the light 16, for running during he night and 61 near the front of the car is a horn the operation of which will. now be described with reference to Figs. 1 and "2', in which 13 is the battery, and P is an insulated plate provided with' three binding posts 62, 63 and 64, asindicated. From the posts 62 and 63' are wires 65 and 66 leading to the lamp 16/ 67' is a wire leading from post 63 to terminal 3 1 and wire 68 leads from post 6 1 to terminal Wire 69 leads from the negative pole orbattery B, to post 63 and wire'TO connects the post 62 through the switch 60 to'tlie positive pole of battery 13, and 71 is a wire leading from port 6 1 through the horn 61 to the positive pole of battery B.

The parts being constructed. arranged an d disposed shown, the operation of the invention is as follows:

The lenses 22 with stop signal 22 and 23 being as shown in Fig. 4 with the lens 23 facing to the rear of the automobile and the driver has assumed his position on the front seat of the car, and permits his weight to compress the air within the compressible bag 51, it while running the operator is required to change his direction, slow up or stop the automobile, and desires to signal to the rear of his intention of so doing, said operator so throws the four-way valve 5 1 by means of the handle 59 that the air pressure within the bag 51 passes through the branch 57 into pipe 38, bent end 20 and into the corresponding chamber at end 27 of cylinder 25, while the other chamber at end 26' of cylinder 25 by means of bent end 39, pipe 37 and branches 56 and 53 is connected with the atmosphere whensaid pressure within the end 27 oi cylinitlrr 25 reacts against the central wall or pan tition 28 and causes said cylinder 25 with its attachec spider or plate 17 to rotate until the pin 32 is arrested by coming in contact with the stop 33, after having passed through an arc of ninety degrees. In this position the lens 22 with the stop signal S has assumed the position facing to the rear and visible through the'opening 45 of the housing 43 and will be plainly visibleto all drivers in the rear ofthe car and warn them of the forward drivers intention to change his direction, stop or slow down'and the S on the white lens 24 will show through the opening 46 and also similarly Warn the drivers approaching from the to sto-p,'change front that the car is about direction'or vary speed, I r

During the fore oing described operation or movement oi the plate 17 and cylinder 25,-thepin"30 hits the arm 36 of the I switch 33 and completes the electric circuit, as will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 7, in which the current from the nega-. tive side of thebattery B'passes through wire 69, post 63, wire 67, terminal 34, switch 1 33, terminal 35, wire 68, post 64, wire/71 through horn 61, wire 1, to positlve pole of battery B, and the sounding of said horn 61 will call attention to the drivers at the rear to the set signal. When it is desired to throw in the light 16 .for night running, the switch 60is closed and thelight 16 is in circuit with the battery 13' at all times from negative pole of battery 3 through wire 69, port 63, wire 66, lamp 16, wire 65,

port 62, wire 70, switch 60, wire '70 to positive pole of battery B, said lamp 16 circuit being independent of the switch 33 and horn 61, as will be readily understood.

When it is desired to returnthelens 22 and stop signal 2241.0 its inoperative or normal position, the four-Way valve- 54- is adjusted to its original position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the air pressure within the 34 and 35 thereby discontinuing the opera-.

tion of the horn 61. I I

When the car is motionless and not in use and lens 22 is in itsnormal position', as shown in Fig; 4, and the light 16 is burning, the white lens 24 throws a white light forward while the plain red lens23' throws a red light to the rear of the car, the com bined signal and rear light 13 then satisfactorily performs all the function of a parking light. a d

From the foregoing disclosure of the con-v struction and arrangement of parts and mode of operation of the invention, it will be seen that all the functions and advantages recited in the statement of. invention have been fully and efiiciently carried out.

'What I claim is: v p

1.. A signal for vehicles comprising a rotatable member, a signal attached to and rotating with said member, an arcuateshaped cylinder having two open ends and two independent'chambers therein, a pipe bentto the same radius of curvature as the cylinder and insertible into and provided for each open end of said cylinder, a flexiblefluid tight tube for each chamber of said cylinder and having one of its ends attachedto the open end of thepipe with I in the cylinder and its other end attached to the open end of the cylinder, and means for conveying fluid pressure into either of said two'independent chambers through said pipes insertible into the ends of said cylinder.

2. A signal for vehicles comprising a rotatable member, a signal attached to and rotating with said member, a curved cylinder having two open ends and two independent chambers therein, a pipe bent. to

the "same radius of curvature as the cylinder and insertible into and provided for fluid tight tube for each chamber or said cylinder and having one of its ends attached to-the open end of the pipe within the cylinder and its other endattached to the open end of the'cylinder, a horn, meansfor actuating said horn, means on said rotatable member for controlling the means for actuating said horn, and means for conveying fluid pressure into either of said two independent chambers througn said pipes in- ,sertible into the ends of said cylinder.

3. A combined signal, rear and parking light for vehicles comprising a fixed light, a member rotatable about said light, a signal and a red lens attached to and rotating .with said member, a curved cylinder'havmg two open ends and two independent chambers therein, a pipe bent to the same radius of curvature as the cylinder and insertible into and provided foreaoh open end of said cylinder, a flexible fluid tight tube for each chamber of said cylinder and having one of its ends attached to the open end of the pipe within the cylinder and its other end attached to the open. end of the cylinder and means for conveyingfluid pressure into either of said two independent chambers through said pipes insertible each open end of said cylinder, a'flexible into the ends of said cylinder for rotating said member and properly exposing said signal with respect to the vehicle.

4. A combined signal, rear and parking light for vehicles comprising a fixed light,

a member rotatable about said light, a sig .nal and a red lens attached to and rotating with said member, a curved cylinder having.

two open ends and two independent chambers therein, a pipe bent to the same radius of curvature as the cyhnder and insertible into and provided for each open end of said cylinder. a flexible fluid tight tube for each chamber of said cylinder and having one of its ends attached to the open end of the pipe within the cylinder and its other end attached to the open end of the cylinder, a horn, means for actuating said horn, means on said rotatable member for controlling the means for actuating the horn when the signal is n operative position and properly exposed, and means for conveying fluid pressure into either of said two independent chambers through said pipes insertible into the ends of said cylinder.

A signal for vehicles comprising a rotatable member, a signal attached to and rotating with aid member, a curved cylinder having two open ends and two independent chambers therein, a pipefbent to the same radius of curvature as the cylinder and insertible into and provided for -each open end of said cylinder, a flexible fluid tight tube for each chamber of said cylinder and havino' one of its ends attached to the open end of the pipe within the cylinder and its other end. attached to the open end of the cylinder, a fluid pressure reservoir, and means for conveying said fluid pressure into either of said two independ-. ent chambers through said pipes ,insertible into theends ofsaid cylinder.

6. signal for vehicles comprising a rotatable member, a signal attachedto and rotating with said member, a curved cylinder having two open ends and two independent chambers therein, a pipe bent to the same radius of curvature as the cylinder and insertible into and provided for each open end of said cylinder, a flexible air tight tube for each chamber ofsaid cylinder having one of it's ends attached 'to the open-end of the pipe within, the cylinder and its other end attached to the open end of the cylinder, a collapsible fluid pressure reservoir, means for distendinp; said fluid pressure reservoir, and means for conveying said fluid pressure into either of said two independent chambers through said pipes, in:

sertible into the ends of said cylinder.

In; testimony whereof I, afiix my signa ture. I

HUGH M. BROWN E- 

